Question about Quadrophenia Deluxe Edition (2 CD set)

[guitarandyourpen]

Hi there,

I am brand new to this forum. I had several discography related questions that I would appreciate getting some input on.

My first two questions have to do with the 2 CD deluxe edition version of Quadrophenia that was released in 2011 in the United States:

1) Why does disc one end with the song "Drowned" instead of "Bell Boy"? Did Pete or anyone else give an explanation as to why this was done? As many Who fans know, side 3 on the original LP ends with "Bell Boy". There is enough disc space on disc one to include all of the songs on the first three sides of Quadrophenia. Another benefit of ending disc one with "Bell Boy" is that it would've created more room on disc two for additional bonus tracks. I tend to be a historical purist when it comes to these kind of things, and so when I listen to this reissue I actually listen to a couple of CD-R's that I burned where disc one ends with "Bell Boy" and disc two starts off with "Dr. Jimmy". It's almost as if an oversight happened on the part of the people who assembled the deluxe edition package.

2) Speaking of being a historical purist, why did they elect to use the 1996 remix of Quadrophenia instead of just remastering from the original master tapes and using the original mix (like the Deluxe Edition of Tommy)? I have heard things over the years where Pete and Co. weren't happy with the original mix of Quadrophenia. That's fine, but they need to make available the original mix on digitally remastered CD's so that people who prefer the original mix (and who don't like artists altering history) have something they can listen to.

[eric515]

Apr 9, 2014 18:55:09 GMT guitarandyourpen said:

... instead of just remastering from the original master tapes and using the original mix (like the Deluxe Edition of Tommy)?

OK for the second Deluxe Tommy (with the live bootlegs on disc 2)

The first Tommy Deluxe (with the bonus on disc 2) was remixed I think.

[Ineedanewname]

Apr 9, 2014 18:55:09 GMT guitarandyourpen said:

Hi there,

I am brand new to this forum. I had several discography related questions that I would appreciate getting some input on.

My first two questions have to do with the 2 CD deluxe edition version of Quadrophenia that was released in 2011 in the United States:


2) Speaking of being a historical purist, why did they elect to use the 1996 remix of Quadrophenia instead of just remastering from the original master tapes and using the original mix (like the Deluxe Edition of Tommy)? I have heard things over the years where Pete and Co. weren't happy with the original mix of Quadrophenia. That's fine, but they need to make available the original mix on digitally remastered CD's so that people who prefer the original mix (and who don't like artists altering history) have something they can listen to.

Welcome to the forum.

There doesn't seem to have been an official explanation ever given for the choice of the 1996 mix.

Townshend was impressed enough with it during the creation of the box set that he made a point of mentioning in a blog entry of how it allowed the listener to "properly hear Roger's astonishing vocals". Meanwhile John Astley was "evaluating" that same mix. So it looks as if the selection of the 1996 mix was simply down to the personal preference of those concerned.

I agree the original mix would have been a more suitable choice, failing which they should have created a completely fresh remix specific to the box. It seems a bit of a cheapskate move to be using an already available modern remix, but I consider the box set as a whole to have been a completely screwed up opportunity anyway.

Luckily the original mix can still be found on CD for those happy to seek out a used copy, but that's not the point is it?

[guitarandyourpen]

Thanks for the input. 

Has anyone heard anything regarding question #1? It's really odd that disc one doesn't end with "Bell Boy".

[larry]

Apr 10, 2014 15:14:30 GMT Ineedanewname said:

Apr 9, 2014 18:55:09 GMT guitarandyourpen said:

Hi there,

I am brand new to this forum. I had several discography related questions that I would appreciate getting some input on.

My first two questions have to do with the 2 CD deluxe edition version of Quadrophenia that was released in 2011 in the United States:


2) Speaking of being a historical purist, why did they elect to use the 1996 remix of Quadrophenia instead of just remastering from the original master tapes and using the original mix (like the Deluxe Edition of Tommy)? I have heard things over the years where Pete and Co. weren't happy with the original mix of Quadrophenia. That's fine, but they need to make available the original mix on digitally remastered CD's so that people who prefer the original mix (and who don't like artists altering history) have something they can listen to.

Welcome to the forum.

There doesn't seem to have been an official explanation ever given for the choice of the 1996 mix.

Townshend was impressed enough with it during the creation of the box set that he made a point of mentioning in a blog entry of how it allowed the listener to "properly hear Roger's astonishing vocals". Meanwhile John Astley was "evaluating" that same mix. So it looks as if the selection of the 1996 mix was simply down to the personal preference of those concerned.

I agree the original mix would have been a more suitable choice, failing which they should have created a completely fresh remix specific to the box. It seems a bit of a cheapskate move to be using an already available modern remix, but I consider the box set as a whole to have been a completely screwed up opportunity anyway.

Luckily the original mix can still be found on CD for those happy to seek out a used copy, but that's not the point is it?

Both the Tommy and Quadrophenia box sets were major disappointments to me. Not a single note of previously unheard Who music on either. What we did get though were Pete's demos. I don't have a problem with him including his demos in a Who box as long as there is some new Who music as well. Also, if Pete is so anxious to get these demos out, it is not unprecedented for him to release them under his own name- the various Scoop set and The Lifehouse box are perfect examples of this.

Someone in another forum was recently wondering if we'd ever get a decent Who box. I doubt it.

[Ineedanewname]

Even the Quadrophenia demos were disappointing to me, with modern drum overdubs. Surely the latter goes directly against the reason for including demos in the first place, which is to show how the piece developed?

The one thing which did impress me about the box was the book, which was incredibly informative.

[larry]

Apr 14, 2014 15:43:13 GMT Ineedanewname said:

Even the Quadrophenia demos were disappointing to me, with modern drum overdubs. Surely the latter goes directly against the reason for including demos in the first place, which is to show how the piece developed?

The one thing which did impress me about the box was the book, which was incredibly informative.

The book was excellent. And my reaction the drum overdubs on the demos was the same- WTF??

[modo]

I too would have much preferred that the demos were left they way they were originally recorded.There was no need to add drums to the tracks that Pete never got around to putting drums on originally,it's not as if they suffered as a result of not having any?Sea and sand had already been released on scoop 3 as originally recorded without adding drums and sounds just fine and of course the Quad demos boot have other "drumless" tracks too.
A demo is a demo and should have been left "as is" I think.